Later life

Merlin believed that wizards should help Muggles and live peacefully with them.[3] To this end, he founded the Order of Merlin, an organisation which promoted Muggle rights, creating rules against using magic on them.[3]

Merlin was also an expert user of charms.[3] His exceptional skill earned him the epithet the Prince of Enchanters.[3]

Legacy

At some point, either during Merlin's lifetime or after his death, the Order of Merlin switched from a Muggle rights organisation to an award bestowed upon witches and wizards who performed a great deed at personal risk or contributed to the betterment of wizarding society in some way.

Merlin's renown led his name to become a part of everyday wizarding vernacular. The popular exclamation, "Merlin's beard!", and the more unusual "Merlin's pants!" or "Merlin's most baggy Y fronts", are examples of such.

Behind the scenes

Merlin is a wizard featured in many British legends. Though he first appeared under the name Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin the wild) in Welsh literature as a half-crazed prophet of the forest, he is perhaps most famous as a central figure in the Arthurian legend. He is most commonly depicted as the adviser of King Arthur.[6]

Albus Dumbledore, an extraordinarily talented and powerful wizard, resembled Merlin in many ways, such as the iconic long beard and prodigious magical skill. Both were "Muggle sympathizers", although Merlin's belief in the pure-blood elitism is unknown, it likely was the same as Dumbledore's.

It is unusual that Merlin, one of the most famous proponents of Muggle rights and tolerance, would be placed in Slytherin, a house strongly associated with anti-Muggle views, although since he was such an ambitious person with all his plans for the Order of Merlin, it is not entirely surprising. Slytherins aren't necessarily evil or bad.

In fact, the entire placement of Merlin at Hogwarts is paradoxica. Hogwarts was founded in the 9th/10th century, and while the early 9th century was the time the first records of the Arthur-myth were written, the actual myth plays around the year 500 A.D., meaning that the 'historical' Merlin in fact predates Hogwarts by roughly five-hundred years.